78 



MAGPIE 



secondaries rich purplish blue ; greater coverts green blue ; scapu- 

 lars, lower part of the breast and belly white ; thighs and vent 

 black; tail long, the two exterior feathers scarcely half the length 

 of the longest, the others increasing to the two middle ones, w^hich 

 taper towards their extremities. The color of this part of the 

 plumage is very splendid, being glossy green, dashed with blue and 

 bright purple; this last color bounds the green; nostrils covered 

 with a thick tuft of recumbent hairs, as are also the sides of the 

 mouth; bill, legs and feet glossy black. The female differs only 

 in the less brilliancy of her plumage. 



